By Lem Satterfield
Top Rank Promotions CEO, Bob Arum, is expecting a wild media tour to promote a junior middleweight collision between WBA champion Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28KOs), and challenger Ricardo Mayorga (29-7, 22KOs). Arum reached an agreement with fellow 79-year-old rival promoter, Don King, to match the fighters in the main event of a March 12 pay-per-view card from the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
Cotto is one of the most calm and soft spoken fighters in the game. His patience will be seriously tested when Mayorga begins to unload his verbal bombs during the press tour. Mayorga has been involved in a few pre-fight physical confrontations with opponents. Arum and King were once mortal enemies, but they became good friends over the years. That won't stop the two promoters from trading a few verbal bombs of their own, says Arum.
"Mayorga has a big mouth. Mayorga's mouth and his antics will be a big help. Also, you know that Don King and I will go at it, and that will also be a big help. Don King and I, we've been friends for years now, and we've been bitter enemies in the past," said Arum. "But, then, when we've realized that we were getting up there in age, we became close, you know?"
"Don and I talk with each other all of the time, so there really is no animosity at all, whatsoever. But it's just like fighters at fight-time once the promotion starts. Wait until you see how we'll go at each other. You'll never forget that."
Lem Satterfield is the boxing editor at AOL FanHouse and the news editor at BoxingScene.com. To read more from Lem Satterfield, go to AOL FanHouse by Clicking Here.